Optimizing the pheromone trap density and design for more efficient management of red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier

The Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier is an invasive, hidden pest of palms causing considerable economic loss for more than two decades in the Arabian Peninsula. Although mass trapping of weevils with synthetic male aggregation pheromone and food baited traps has been part of IPM program for several years, it has not achieved the desired results. As the viability of pheromone trapping system depends on the optimum trapping density and trap design, we have conducted a series of field trials in two different locations. Four different trap densities were tested in two locations with known levels of infestation. The data indicated that capture rate of adult weevils increased in a unit area when the number of traps has been increased. Our studies provide answers for the optimization of trap density in date palm orchards. Among the trap designs tested, the modified Saudi trap attracted significantly higher number of adult weevils. All the data from these studies are analyzed and discussed in detail in this paper. These studies provide information to revise the mass trapping protocols for R. ferrugineus.